Snap-switch.



G. D. PLATT.

SNAP SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1912 1,054,939, I Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

Fig. 2

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE n. ah, or BnmGEPom. CONNECTICUT.

SNAP-SWITCH.

To all whom it may concern Be known that I, CLAREXCE'D. -PLAT1,':

a citizen of the llnited States, and a resi dent of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairvented certain new and, useful Improvements in Snap-Switches, f which the fol- V lowing 1s a full c1ear, and-enact description,-

. 1 whereby anylone skilledin the; art may f The invention relates to ele ctric switches of-the type well known .in the art as snap switches embodying stationary contact members; a movable contact member coii'permake and use the same.

ating therewith, ajspindle, for rotating', the

movable contact member and moving it into and out of-contactwith thest-ationary con-Y tactsand appurtenant mechanism for intermittently tensioni-ng and releasing the movgo able contact member for quick make and "break contacts with reference to the station Y any contacts.

The-invention relates more particularly .to the mechanism for securing positive acgsftitiny normally locking the parts against retro ade movement and giving a definite step}- ystep movement to the rotating ,or

mo abl'e contact member. -.heobiwtof'theinvention is to provide '30 a mechanism for actuating a switch, simple in its construction, positive in its action, havmga n'nnlmum number of parts of slmple constructlon, low costof manufacture andgreat ease and facilityiof assembly; The mechanismzcf the ordinary snap switch,.while ordinarily of simple construction, is composed; ofqa number of parts which must be, assembled with accuracy thus necessitating the handling of a number 40 of parts bydifferent operatives.

It one of the. objects of the invention hereinafter described to'so arrange the parts 'of 'tl mechanism, that they may be assembled with a.1ninimum of labor and-even with unskilled labor, the somewhat intricate parts of the mechanism being so'formed andarranged that they may be readily assembled directly upon the spindle and, placed under-tension of the operating spring and then applied in the simplest way to the base,

or support.

Referring to the drawings:' is a vertical cross-sectional view through the.

snap switch. Fig. '2 is a view insideele;.

'vat on. of the spindle,. 'movable c'ontactbar) andappurtenant partsgwiththe detentplat' i .cons'trugitionsof this type;

nut 1 9. arranged; t

Specification of LettersPatent. Patented 3111134, 1913. Application filed Aug'ustj. 1912. Serial no. 713.252.

bottom plan v'ie'w in enlarged scale. of the detcnt plate, guidespindle-and appurtenant parts. showing one tooth of the ratchet memqa field-and State of. Connecticut, have mher about to be disengaged. Fight is. a similar view showing 'the ratchet member in full engagement with the lug of the detent plate. Fig. I) is a vertical cross section through the insulating-base illustrating-the arrangement *of 'th'e ratchet. member and jspindle bearing. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of thebasefillustrated in F i F ig. is a top plan view ofthe base with the stationary contacts and ratchet member, which comprise allo'f the fixed members of the structure. 8 is a view of the several parts of the mechanism shown-m perspective and arranged substantially in; the position in which they are to be assembled.

Referring/to the drawings the numeral '1 denotes a base, of'insu lating material which members-.2, .3,' provided with suitable ter minal connections 4, 5, and cooperating with a movable 'contact'bar 6, to make and break .rnay beef any desired-character and form and has mounted upon it stationary contact the electric circuit between the stationary contacts.-

The' base is surmoui 'ted by an inclosing cover'7,fof usual form, having an insulating lining S,-.an'd a dial plate'9, arranged the'rein to show 'theposition of the contact bar; These parts are all ell known-in switch ,Centrally arranged upon and projecting through the base is a threaded sleeve 10, having an angularly formed head ll anda' central opening 12, to receive the lower'end of'th'e spiud'le l3. The angularly formcd head 11, of thesleeve fits within a similarly formed opening 1450f a ratchet'membe'r 15'."

The opening '14. is formed by (pressing'down l the metal of t-he ratchet-provi ngfa squared hub 16; which, in turn fits within a simimore, it. provides ,a lar earea parts may be'clamped toqt'he. mil-"liability: of 'fractur ingf't e emanateheme eat-me the sleeve from'the under side of the of securing spindles. arranged upon it an eccentric member 21,

base? The s indle 13 passesthrough the which restswithin an eccentric opening 22 [shown herein as extending transversely with reference to the detent .plate This det'ent plate .has forced down from its metal a lug 24,!1dapted to engage with and be disengaged from the teeth of the ratchet 15, as

the detent plate is moved by the eccentric 21.

-To confine the'detent plate 23 in its movements and carry the movable switch bar 6,

thereis arranged' a guide plate 25, of some j what unique construction. The plate 25,

has a central perforation through which the spindle passes and within which is riveted a spring barrel26, about which is coiled the tension spring 27. Forced up from the metal of the plate is a spring lug 28, with which the loweren'd of the spring 27 may engage, the upper end of said sprmg being engaged by a collar 29, secured to the spindle 13. Pressed down from oppositeends of the plate 25 are lugs 30, which provide. slide openings 31, in which slide the ends 32 of the detent plate 23. The ends 32 are narrower than the body of the plate 23 and thus, shoulders 34, 35,,are formed which limittheglongitudinal movement of the detent plate 23, as they come in contact with the lugs 30. The parts are sodesigned and formed that the lug 24 of the detent plate 23, alwaysrests in full engagement with a tooth of the ratchet when the plate is at the rearward limit of its play, where it is held bythe shoulders 34, and lug by theaction 40 of the eccentric which is under spring tension. The eccentric-is designed to throw the plate and its lug 24 sufficiently to disengage said lug from the tooth of the ratchet after the spring 27 ,has been placed under tension;

by rotation of the spindle 13. The movable contact bar 6, is secured to the guide plate 25 through insulating members as illustrated-in Figs. 1 and 2.

The operation of the device is obvious as particularly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. With the parts in the position illustrated in Fig. 4 .and the spring 27 under partial tension, the eccentric throws the plate 23 into position to cause the locking lug 24 to fully engage 'a tooth of the ratchet 1 5. As the spindle is rotated, the spring 27 is tensioned and thus the plate 25 with the movable contact bar is placed under considerable tension with the appurtenant parts, namely, the sliding de-- tent plate 23. At the same time, the mood tric 21 moves said detent plate until a lug 24 is disengaged from the ratchet tooth whereupon the parts are rapidly rotated, givin a quick make and. break action. to the mova le contact, member 6 until, through like manner, the ratchet memberiis stamped up with its angularly formed central opening 14 and a central perforation 14 an ranged to receive the angular head 11 and tubular shank 10, of the retaining sleeve.

With the parts formed as illustrated, there I are special advantages attained, not only from the accuracyand positiveness oft-he operation but in the assembly of'the switch as a whole. The insulating base, with its.

ratchet plates, tubularmember 10 and nut 19, together with the stationary contact members may be completely assembled and left as a unit. The spindle may then be assembled with its full complement of'operating mechanism. This is efl'ected by passing the spindle 13, through the opening 22 of the plate 23 and through the central perforation of the plate 25, bringing the ecthe ends 32, betweenthe lugs 30. The spring barrel 26,is, of course, secured to theplate 25 and the tension spring 27, may then have one end placed. in position to engage the lug 28, and the opposite end in position to engage the lug 29, the latter being fast to the spindle at the upper end of the tube 26.

centric 21 into the opening'22 and placing By turning thespindle 13, the spring 27,

may be placed under tension and as the plate 23 is dropped over the eccentric 21 and into enga ement with its guide plate 25 .said plate will be locked in position by the lugs 30, and shoulders 34, and forms acomplete unit, ready to be placed in position in the base. The lower end of the spindle is then inserted through the tubular bearing rotating the spindle, the lug-'24 will ratchet. By then applying the washer at the lower end of the spindle, the structure 0 and by holding the switch bar -and slightly find its true engagement with onetooth of the Obviously the exact details as to form illustrated herein might be varied to-a-very of such astructui'e. The requirements are necessarily simple,

lion and certainty-of action, with 'a niiiiito secure by Letters Patent is:

rormed opening, a tubularbeariiig sleeve having an angularly considerable extent without departing from the spirit of the invention, the main object of the attributes necessary to provide a switch meeting the essential requirements though ,perfectly formed mum number of parts.

\Vhat I claim as my invention and desire arts, easy of asseiiihly, low cost of produc- I 1. In'a device of'the character described, abase or support, a ratchet member secured thereto, said ratchet havingaii angularly formed part fitting said opening, means for securing said sleeve and. ratchet member in the base and a spindle member bearing a-sliding detentwith a lug to engage the teeth of the ratchet and guide plate for said sliding detent, said: guide plate and sliding detent' having an! eccentric connection with reference to thei spindle, and having a movement independent thereof and a tension device intermediate the, spindle and said IUOVilblQjPilltS. I 2. In a device of the character described,

a spindle bearing an eccentric, a sliding (letent plate having an eccentric opening, a guide plate overlying said deteiit plate and having lugs limiting the movement thereof, a. ratchet luiiderl ving said deteiit plate and adapted to be engaged thereby, and a tension guide plate.

3. In a device of the character described a spindle bearing an eccentric, a sliding de-' tent plate having an openingcooperating with said eccentric and provided with abrupt device intermediate the spindle ano.

shoulders. .a guide plate, downturned lugs upon said plate embracing the slide plate I and forming a guide and stop for limiting the movements of sa icl'plate and a tension device intermediate the spindle and guide plate.

, CLARENCE D, PLATT.

\Vitiiesses )IABEL Gr. GUxx, GEORGE X. SEARS. 

